Hand wedger



March 15, 1966 G, H, SHAFF ETAL 3,239,917

HAND WEDGER 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed July l, 1964 m WWW m W my@ n y. VHJ. 4 mDNM am l E uw l@ VL B ml l e March l5, 1966 s. H. sHAFF ETAL 3,239,917

HAND WEDGER Filed July l, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 82 n', wv f. 'MII d? a@ @e 629 f4-FEI] 4 INVENTOR.

GERALD H. SHAFT BY Mem/N ./TrRAz/ 77W, M26/W March 15, 1966 G. H. sHAFF ETAL 3,239,917

HAND WEDGER 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 1,. 196.4,

INVENTOR. GERALD H S'HAFF o www. m M ww/W .4 WM L) E M Y B 9 United States Patent O 3,239,917 HAND WEDGER Gerald H. Shai, Minneapolis, and Melvin J. Straub,

Hopkins, Minn., assignors to Possis Machine Corporation, Minneapolis, Minn., a corporation oi Minnesota Filed July 1, 1964, Ser. No. 379,560 14 Claims. (Cl. Z9-155.5)

This invention relates to a means for inserting wedges A4in the slots of electrical machine cores to retain wire coils wound therein in position adapted to being made portable. More specically this invention provides a device wherein hat stock is formed to the appropriate Wedge shape between intermittently driven male and female rollers and then is fed into a duct divided into front and rear portions having substantially the same shape as the formed wedge. A reciprocating rack is used to drive the rollers via a one way clutch. This invention further provides a means for cutting the wedge to the 'appropriate length by providing a cam operated shears comprising pivoting the forward duct portion relative to the rear portion which is controlled by a cam actuator pivotally connected to a driven actuator arm which operates the cam on the return stroke of the rack. A new wedge being formed drives a prepared wedge out of the duct. A tip including a lip for engaging the stator slot, a continuation of the forward duct through which the wedge is fed and a skirt for depressing the wire coil facilitates starting lthe wedge into the stator slot.

It is the principal object of this invention .to provide a novel wedging machine.

Another object of this invention is to provide a portable wedging machine.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a wedging machine that forms, cuts and drives wedges from a roll or web of flat stock.

'It is a still further object of this invention to provide a cam operated shears in the form of a divided wedge duct, one por-tion 4of which may be pivoted with respect to the other.

A further object of this invention is to provide a wedger insertion tip that facilitates driving a Wedge aXially of a core.

It is yet a further object of this invention to provide means for automatically cutting the wedge to an appropriate length after said wedge has been formed within the device.

It is yet still a fur-ther object of this invention to provide a wedging machine, or wedger, that uses a wedge in the process -of being prepared to force the prepared wedges out of the device and into the stator slot.

Other and further objects of the invention are those inherent and apparent in the apparatus as described, pictured and claimed.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, this invention then comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed.

The invention will be described with reference to the drawings in which corresponding numerals refer to the same parts and in which:

FIGURE l is a partial side elevation of lthe invention; broken lines show hidden parts;

FIGURE 2 is a partial plan view drawn to the same scale as FIGURE l; broken lines show hidden parts;

FIGURE 3 isa section view ltaken along the :line 3 3 of FIGURE l yand is drawn yto rthe same scale as FIGURE l;

3,239,917" Patented Mar. 15, 1966 ,s ICC FIGURE 4 is a section View taken along the line 4-4 of FIGURES l and is drawn to the same scale as FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a detail of the cam and cam actuator with the cam actuator being depicted in clockwise rotation; FIGURE 5 is drawn to a scale larger than that of FIGURE 1; broken lines show hidden parts;

FIGURE 6 is similar to FIGURE 5 but with the cam actuator in counterclockwise rotation; FIGURE 6 is drawn to the same scale as FIGURE 5; broken lines show hidden parts;

FIGURE 7 is a partial elevation of the device from the opposite side to that of FIGURE 1 with portions broken away t-o show internal construction; it is drawn to the same scale as FIGURE l; broken lines represent repeated structure;

FIGURE 8 is a partial top plan view depicting the shaft connection to the gear rack tand is drawn to the same scale as FIGURE 1; broken lines show hidden parts;

FIGURE 9 is an enlarged end view taken in the direction of the line 9-9 in FIGURE 1 depicting the guide tip and is drawn to a larger scale than FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 10 is a side elevation of the tip being placed into engagement with the stat-or slot prior to the insertion of the wedge and is drawn to the `same scale as FIGURE l.

The hand wedger has al frame comprised of a gear housing 12 to which is secured, by any suitable means, handle 14. A second handle 15 is secured to the gear housing 12 by any suitable means and located for convenient holding.

A cylinder type motor 16, preferably air powered is rigidly ysecured to `the -gear housing 12 by any suitable means as for example by the screws 13. A piston (not shown) operates within the cylinder. The piston is rigidly secured to a double ended shaft 17 which protrudes from each end of the cylinder 16. The end 18 of the double ended shaft 17 is provided with a stop `sleeve 19 secured to shaft by anysuitable means as by the cap screw 20. This .top sleeve engages the end of cylinder 16 to limit movement to the left in FIGURE l. For diierent lengths of wedges, different lengthsleeves are secured to the shaft 17 to control the length of the wedge driving and forming stroke. By suitable sleeve and magazine lengths (as described below) a wide rang of wedge length may be formed.

End 21 of the double ended shaft 17 is provided with a pivoting arm 22 which is pivoted by any suitable manner as, for example, the pin 23. A valve 24 is provided to allow iluid under pressure from an outside source (not shown) via connector 24C to be delivered to one end or the other of the cylinder 16 through one of its ports 25 and 26 via tubes 25T (FIGURE 2) and 26T and releasing the fluid at the opposite port. That is, if the valve is so positioned as to increase the pressure through a port 26 of the cylinder 16, `air pressure is allowed to escape through port 25 acting as an outlet, and shaft moves to the left in FIGURE l. When the fluid used is air, which is considered most desirable, the end of cylinder 16 that is not subject to iiuid under pressure may merely be vented to the atmosphere via valve 24. When liquids yare employed, a return line from valve 24 to a reservoir is necessary, of course, as any person skilled in this type of system will readily understand. Valve 24 is controlled by a lever or trigger 27 which is pivoted to the gear frame 12 in any suitable manner, illustratively the pivot pin 28 and disposed in such a manne-r that the operator may operate the trigger 27 with a linger of the hand holding the handle 15.

A gear rack 29 is sldably mounted on the gear housing 12 in suitable ways shown at 30. Ways 30 accept the 3 flange 31 of the gear rack 29 with an appropriate sliding lit.

The shaft 33 is rotatably secured to the gear housing 12 by any suitable low friction means such as the ball bearings 3S and 36 which are retained in position by the end plates 37 and 38. A half gear 32 is rotatably secured to the gear housing 12 by being mounted on shaft 33 to which the sector gear is rigidly secured by any suitable means as, for example, the set screw 34. The shaft 33 is disposed on the gear housing 12 in such a manner that the half or sector gear 32 is in meshing engagement with the gear rack 29. Another gear 39 is also rigidly secured to the shaft 33 by any suitable means as, for example by the set screw 40.

A second shaft 41 is rotatably secured to the gear housing 14 by any suitable means, illustratively the ball bearings 42 and 43 which are held in position on the housing conventionally, for example, the end plates 44 and 45. The end plate 45 is provided with an opening through which the end of the shaft 41 protrudes.

A cam actuator arm 46 is rigidly secured to the shaft 41 by any suitable means. A cam actuator 48 is suitably pivoted to the cam actuator arm 46 as by the pin 49. The cam actuator pivot stop 47 is provided on the cam actuator arm 46 to provide pivoting of the cam 4actuator in one direction only. The gear 50 is rigidly secured to the shaft 41 by any suitable means and is disposed in meshing engagement with the gear 39. Cam actuator 48 is spring loaded (not shown) against stop 47.

Another shaft 51 is rotatably secured to the gear housing 12 by any suitable low friction means as, for example, by the ball bearings 52 and 53 which may be suitably retained in position on the gear housing 12 as by end plates 54 and 55. A gear 56 is rotatably secured to the shaft 51 and operably secured to a one direction clutch 57, which is of a type well known in the art designed to transmit torque for one direction of rotation only and is rotatably secured to said shaft 51. Another gear 58 is rigidly secured to the shaft 51 by any lsuitable means and is operably secured to the one direction clutch 57. At the end of the Ishaft 51 which protrudes from the gear housing 12 a roller 59 is rigidly secured by lany suitable means.

One very satisfactory manner of securing roller 59 to shaft 51 as illustrated here is also one that provides for ready alteration in rollers. Shaft 51 is channeled at its end .and receives a bar 59B that fits in a channel 59C in roller 59 and is screwed to it and to the end of shaft 51 as can be seen in FIGURE 1.

To replace roller 59 with a different roller, the screw in the center of bar 59B is -removed which frees the roller and bar from the shaft. A different shaped or Sized roller equipped with a bar to fit in the channel in shaft 51 may then be secured to the shaft. The roller 59 has, as part of its periphery, a female forming die 60 which is of a shape appropriate to the wedge with which the device is to be used.

Still another shaft 61 is rotatably secured to the gear housing 12 by means of the bearings 62 and 63 which are rigidly secured to a bracket 64 which is, in turn, eccentrically secured to the gear housing 14. A gear 65 is rigidly secured to shaft 61 by any suitable means. The roller 66 is rigidly secured to the protruding end of the shaft 61. The roller 66 h-as, as part of its periphery, a male forming die which in conjunction with the female forming die 60 on roller 59 presses the wedge to the desired shape. Roller 66 is provided with structure similar to roller 59 and is shown at 66C and 66B in FIGURE 1. By altering rollers, shaft stroke and magazines, a wide range of wedges is available to the operator. The male forming surface 67 is provided with ribs 69, parallel to the longitudinal axis of the roller, so as to provide a positive grip on the wedge material.

Gear 65 is disposed in meshing engagement with the gear 58. The eccentric mounting of shaft 61 allows it to be removed to and from shaft 50 and thus the gears 5S and 65 and the rollers 59 and 66 may be brought into closer or more remote relation, depending on the requirements imposed in terms of the wedge stock. This variation is accommodated by loosening the retaining screw assembly 68 which bears, when tightened, on the gear housing 12 and then pivoting the bracket 64, which is eccentrically secured to the gear housing 12. Movmg shaft 61 changes its relation to the shaft 51. Thus, 41t 1s important to provide adequate tooth depth in the gears 58 and 65 so that mesing engagement is maintained despite the maximum separation of said shafts 51 and 61 and bottoming avoided during minimum separation.

A rear magazine 70 is rigidly secured to the gear hous'i ing 12 by any suitable means, for example, by the bracket 71 which is rigidly secured to the gear housing 12 and the set screws 72 through the bracket 71 bearing on the rear magazine 70. A duct 73, of substantially the same shape as the desired wedge, runs through the center of the rear magazine 70 and serves as a guide through the rear magazine 70 for the formed wedge. The rear maga zine 70 is disposed in such a manner as to receive the formed wedge as it leaves the rollers 59 and 66.

A forward magazine 74, with -a 'duct similar to duct 73 running through it, is removably and pivota'bly secured to the gear housing 12 by any convenient means as, for example, by the yarm 75 which is removably and adjustably secured to the gear housing 12 `as, for example, by the means of the knurled cap screw 76, which may be threaded into any of the holes 90 in the arm 75. Slot 75S in `arm 75 provides adjustment for arm 75 with the cap screw 76 in any one of the holes 90. By this means the rear of the forward magazine 74 may be adjusted With a nic-e fit to the front of rear magazine 70 so that their adjacent duct edges form shearing surfaces. The forward magazine 74 is substantially a whole number multiple of the desired length of the wedge the variation, if any, being preferably slightly more than a whole number multiple. Many lengths of forward magazines 74 may, however, be interchangeably used on this device. The forward magazine is pivotally secured to the arm 75 in -any suitA table manner as, for example, by the pin 77 through the pierced boss 75B at the forward end of the arm 75.-

A cam 78 lis rigidly secured to the forward magazin@ and disposed in `such a manner as to allow the forward magazine 74 to be activated by the cam `actuator 48. Resilient means is Iprovided to urge the forward magazine 74 into engagement with a stop plate 79, which is rigidly secured to the bottom of the rear magazine 70. A suitable resilient means is exemplified by the use of the compression spring 80 which is compressed by the threaded pin 81 when the forward magazine 74 is lifted by the cam action. Tension in the spring 80 is governed by the adjusting knurled nut 82. T-he resilient means may be mounted on `the gear housing 12 by any suitable rigid means as, for example, the spring housing 83.

A tip 84 is rigidly secured to the forward end of the forward magazine 74. The tip 84 is comprised of a slot engaging lip 85, -a duct outlet 86 tand a wire skirt 87. The lip is rigidly secured to the tip 84 and is disposed adjacent to the duct outlet 86. The wire skirt 87 is 1ocated adjacent to the duct outlet 86 lon t-he opposite side thereof from s-aid lip 85.

OPERATION To insert a wedge in a stator slot with this device the frame is held by the operator with his one hand on the handle 14 and his other hand on the handle 15 in such a manner he is yable to oper-ate, with finger pressure, the lever =or trigger 27. The lip 85 is brought into engage` ment with the retain-ing edge of the stator slot 88 `in laV pos1tion which forms an angle to the longitudinal axis. of the stator as shown in FIGURE 10. Maintaining the engagement between the lip 85 `and the stator slot retain-v lng edge S8 the device is brought to a position parallel'i to the longitudinal axis of said stator as in FIGURE l. The wire 4coils 89, in the stator, are, by the action of wire skirt 87, depressed `and held away from the duct outlet 86.

The operator then depresses the trigger 27 so t-hat fluid under pressure from the outside source is allowed to enter the .inlet 26 and the fluid within the cylinder is released through the inlet 25. The piston (not shown) moves to the -left (in FIGURE 1) carrying with it the double ended shaft 17 which is rigidly attached thereto. The movement of the double ended s-haft 17 is limited by the stop sleeve 19.

When the gear rack 29 yis carried by the double ended shaft 17, to the right in lits track 30, the half gear 32, which is rigidly :secured to the shaft 33, revolves, as the gear rack 29 proceeds to the right (in FIGURE 7) in a clockwise direction causing the gear 56, with which the half gear 32 meshes, to rotate in a counter-clockwise direction. The gear 39, which is `also rigidly secured to the shaft 33 revolves in a clockwise direction (in FIGURE 7) cau-sing the gear 50, with which the gear 39 meshes, to rotate in a counterclockwise direction. The rotating of the gear 56 `is transmitted vi-a the one direction clutch 57 to the gear 58 which also rotates in a clockwise direction (in FIGURE 7). The gear 55, bei-ng -in mesh with the gear y58, is caused to rotate in a clockwise direction. Because the roller 59 is rigidly secured to the same shaft Ias yin the gear 58, it will rotate in the same direction as t-he gear 58. The lr-oller 66, because it is rigidly secured to lthe same shaft 61 as is the gear `65, will rotate in the same direction as this gear v65.

-Flat paper `stock 90 is drawn into the rollers 59 and 66 by their rotation and is pressed between the female for-ming die 60 .and the male forming surface 467. The flat stock 90 is thus pressed to an appropriate wedge shape. Positive traction on the stock, without slippage, is provided by the Iribs 69.

After the formed stock 90 leaves the rollers 59 and 66 it is received by the rear magazine 70 and is fed `into the duct 73 thereof. On the first cycle of this device there will be no finished wedge in the forward magazine 74. On the second cycle, however, a wedge, previously shaped and cut, is seated in the forward magazine 74. Now, by the action of the wedge materia-l 90, the first wedge will be forced into the stator slot and the new wedge material 90 will take its place in the forward magazine.

The cam actuator arm 46, because it is rigidly secured to the shaft 41, as is the gear 50, will rotate `in the same direction :as the gear 50 and thus (in FIGURE 5) will ybe rotating in -a clockwise direction. As the `cam actuator 48 cornes into contact with the cam 78 it pivots about the pin 49 .allowing lthe cam actuator to pass w-ithout actuating t-he -ca-m 78.

When the double ended shaft 17 reaches the end of its stroke, as determined by the st-op sleeve 19, the trigger 27 is released 'by the operator and iiuid is released from the port 26 and is fed in through the port 25 causing the piston (FIGURE l) to travel to the right drawing, thus the d-ouble ended shaft 17 with it. The gear rack 29 thus is drawn to the left as (in FIGURE 7) causing the half gear 32 to rotate in a counterclockwise direction and the gear 39 likewise in a clockwise direction. The -gear 50 will rotate in a counterclockwise direction .and the gear 56 will rotate in a counterclockwise direction. Because the one way clutch 57 transmits torque in only one direction of rotation the gears 58 `and 65 do not rotate but hold, instead, the rollers S9 land `66 stationary and the paper stock 90 is neither advanced nor retracted on the return stroke.

The cam actuator 46, because it is rigidly secured to the shaft 41 as is the gear 5l), rotates lin a counterclockw-ise direction (in FIGURE 6). The cam actuator 48, because itis restrained by the cam stop 47 which prevents the cam actuator 4S from pivoting, lifts the cam 78 causing the forward magazine 74 to pivot upward about the pin 77 against the tension of the spring 80. Pivoting magazine 74 causes the wedge material to be sheared at the stator slot by new wedge material coming from the rear magazine 70 on a subsequent reciprocation of shaft 17.

Since this wedging device is hand supported, it can be presented to and used on stators and other machine cores too big to be conveniently placed in a separate wedging machine.

It is apparent that many modifications and variations of this invention as hereinbefore set forth may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. The specific embodiments described are given by way of example only and the invention is limited -only by the terms of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for inserting wedges into electrical machine core slots comprising: a frame, a cylinder motor secured to said frame, a piston operating within said cylinder, a double piston shaft secured to said piston and protruding from both ends of said cylinder, means for directing fluid under pressure to both sides of said piston alternately, a sleeve embracing and secured to one end of said piston shaft; a gear train rotatably secured to said frame, mechanical means secured to the other end of said piston shaft and said gear train, a pair of rollers each rotatably secured to said frame; said rollers having complementary male and female forming surface circumferences; 'a gear secured to each of said rollers and said gears being in engagement with one another; a one-direction clutch operably secured to one of said forming roller gears; a gear of said gear train secured to said one direction clutch; a rear magazine rigidly secured to said frame and having a duct through it of a shape substantially the same as that of a Wedge to be formed disposed adjacent said forming rollers; a forward magazine of a length which is a whole number multiple of proposed wedges pivotably secured to said frame and having a duct through it like said rear magazine duct and disposed to receive wedge material from the rear duct, said rear magazine duct and forward magazine duct having shearing surfaces adjacent each other, a stop on said rear magazine, a spring means secured to said frame and said forward magazine urging into engagement with said stop, a cam surface rigidly secured to said forward duct; a cam actuator arm rotatably secured to said frame; a gear of said gear train secured to said cam actuator arm, a cam actuator pivotally secured to said cam actuator arm; a cam actuator stop rigidly secured to said cam actuator arm adjacent said cam actuator, a wedge guide tip having a duct like said magazines secured to said forward magazine, an electrical machine core slot engaging lip secured to said wedge guide tip adjacent to the duct through said tip; and a wire depressing shield adjacent to said duct and on the opposite side of the duct from said lip.

2. A Wedge guiding means for inserting wedges in slotted electrical machine cores comprising: a wedge duct including a wedge exit, a slot engaging lip secured to said duct adjacent one side of its wedge exit; and a wire depressing member secured to said Wedge duct and disposed adjacent to and on the opposite side of said wedge duct wedge exit from said lip.

3. The wedge guiding means of claim 2 in which said wedge duct is of substantially the same shape as the desired wedge shape and is substantially a whole number multiple of the length of the desired wedge.

4. A device for inserting a wedge into an electrical machine core slot comprising, means for preparing a wedge from flat stock means for holding prepared a wedge in the path of a Wedge being prepared; means for driving wedges being prepared, whereby prepared wedges are driven into an electrical machine core.

5. The structure of claim 4 in which said means for preparing said wedge is means for forming a wedge from fiat stock, and means for cutting a wedge to length comprising a divided duct and means for producing shearing motion of one portion in relation to the other portion of said divided duct.

6. The means of claim 5 in which said duct is substantially the same shape as the prepared wedge, said one portion of said divided duct is a length which is substantially a whole number multiple of a prepared wedge, and one of said portions of said divided duct is stationary, the other portion of said divided duct being movable, a cam on said movable portion of said divided duct and a cam actuator engaging said cam following the formation of each wedge.

7. The structure of claim 4 in which said means for driving wedges being prepared includes a reciprocating, cylinder type motor, a piston shaft extending from both ends of said motor, and stop means secured to one end of said piston shaft.

8. The structure of claim 7 in which said stop means is a sleeve embracing and removably secured to said piston shaft and acts to limit piston movement by er1- gaging one end of said cylinder.

9. The means of claim 4 in which there is means for guiding a prepared wedge into an electrical machine core slot comprising a slot engaging lip secured to said duct adjacent its exit and a wire depressing member secured to said duct opposite said lip.

10. The structure of claim 4 in which said means for holding a prepared wedge in the path of a wedge being prepared is a duct through which prepared wedges and wedges in preparation are driven; and positive driving means for driving a wedge being prepared into the duct.

11. A method of inserting wedges into an electrical machine core having slots comprising providing a duct, inserting a prepared wedge into said duct, placing one end of the duct adjacent one end of an electrical machine core slot, and forcing a new wedge in the other end of said duct, whereby said prepared wedge is driven axially into said slot.

12. The method `of claim 11 in which the new wedge forced in the other end of said duct is formed simultaneously with its entrance into said duct.

13. The method of claim 12 in which wedges are formed from continuous flat stock and the material forcing a wedge out of said duct is thereafter severed from the supply of flat stock from which wedges are formed to provide a prepared wedge ready to be inserted.

14. A method of placing wedges in wire lled slots of electrical machine cores comprising, forming a wedge, presenting an end of the formed wedge to an end of a wire lled electrical machine core slot, pushing and holding the wire away from the desired point of entry of the wedge into the slot, forming and presenting a second wedge to the same electrical machine core slot to which said first wedge is presented while holding said formed Wedge and said wedge being formed and presented in alignment; whereby said formed wedge is driven axially into the slot.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS WHITMORE A. WILTZ, Primary Examiner. 

1. A DEVICE FOR INSERTING WEDGES INTO ELECTRICAL MACHINE CORE SLOTS COMPRISING: A FRAME, A CYLINDER MOTOR SECURED TO SAID FRAME, A PISTON OPERATING WITHIN SAID CYLINDER, A DOUBLE PISTON SHAFT SECURED TO SAID PISTON AND PROTRUDING FROM BOTH ENDS OF SAID CYLINDER, MEANS FOR DIRECTING FLUID UNDER PRESSURE TO BOTH SIDES OF SAID PISTON ALTERNATELY, A SLEEVE EMBRACING AND SECURED TO ONE END OF SAID PISTON SHAFT; A GEAR TRAIN ROTATABLY SECURED TO SAID FRAME, MECHANICAL MEANS SECURED TO THE OTHER END OF SAID PISTON SHAFT AND SAID GEAR TRAIN, A PAIR OF ROLLERS EACH ROTATABLY SECURED TO SAID FRAME; SAID ROLLERS HAVING COMPLEMENTARY MALE AND FEMALE FORMING SURFACE CIRCUMFERENCES; A GEAR SECURED TO EACH OF SAID ROLLERS AND SAID GEARS BEING IN ENGAGEMENT WITH ONE ANOTHER; A ONE-DIRECTION CLUTCH OPERABLY SECURED TO ONE OF SAID FORMING ROLLER GEARS; A GEAR OF SAID GEAR TRAIN SECURED TO SAID ONE DIRECTION CLUTCH; A REAR MAGAZINE RIGIDLY SECURED TO SAID FRAME AND HAVING A DUCT THROUGH IT OF A SHAPE SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME AS THAT OF A WEDGE TO BE FORMED DISPOSED ADJACENT SAID FORMING ROLLERS; A FORWARD MAGAZINE OF A LENGTH WHICH IS A WHOLE NUMBER MULTIPLE OF PROPOSED WEDGES PIVOTABLY SECURED TO SAID FRAME AND HAVING A DUCT THROUGH IT LIKE SAID REAR MAGAZINE DUCT AND DISPOSED TO RECEIVE WEDGE MATERIAL FROM THE REAR DUCT, SAID REAR MAGAZINE DUCT AND FORWARD MAGAZINE DUCT HAVING SHEARING SURFACES ADJACENT EACH OTHER, A STOP ON SAID REAR MAGAZINE, A SPRING MEANS SECURED TO SAID FRAME AND SAID FORWARD MAGAZINE URGING INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID STOP, A CAM SURFACE RIGIDLY SECURED TO SAID FORWARD DUCT; A CAM ACTUATOR ARM ROTATABLY SECURED TO SAID FRAME; A GEAR OF SAID GEAR TRAIN SECURED TO SAID CAM ACTUATOR ARM, A CAM ACTUATOR PIVOTALLY SECURED TO SAID CAM ACTUATOR ARM; A CAM ACTUATOR STOP RIGIDLY SECURED TO SAID CAM ACTUATOR ARM ADJACENT SAID CAM ACTUATOR, A WEDGE GUIDE TIP HAVING A DUCT LIKE SAID MAGAZINES SECURED TO SAID FORWARD MAGAZINE, AN ELECTRICAL MACHINE CORE SLOT ENGAGING LIP SECURED TO SAID WEDGE GUIDE TIP ADJACENT TO THE DUCT THROUGH SAID TIP; AND A WIRE DEPRESSING SHIELD ADJACENT TO SAID DUCT AND ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE DUCT FROM SAID LIP.
 11. A METHOD OF INSERTING WEDGES INTO AN ELECTRICAL MACHINE CORE HAVING SLOTS COMPRISING PROVIDING A DUCT, INSERTING A PREPARED WEDGE INTO SAID DUCT, PLACING ONE END OF THE DUCT ADJACENT ONE END OF AN ELECTRICAL MACHINE CORE SLOT, AND FORCING A NEW WEDGE IN THE OTHER END OF SAID DUCT, WHEREBY SAID PREPARED WEDGE IS DRIVEN AXIALLY INTO SAID SLOT. 